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In Johnson County

"“Rebellions are built on hope" - Samira Ahmed, Internment The military of this dystopian futuristic United States forces Layla Ahmed into an internment camp. This internment camp is for Muslim..."Read more

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A child’s reading improves with practice. This relaxed, friendly session allows your kids to practice their reading-out-loud skills with a certified and well-behaved therapy dog as an audience.
Presented in partnership with Pets for...Antioch Library

Lauren Scott

Lauren Scott's music blurs the lines between pop, country and R & B, expertly alternating between genres with a foundation of strong songwriting and singing skills. Her songs are radio-ready even without an official album release. We are grateful to Scott for taking away from performing and recording to share some insights into her creative life and inspirations.

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Please introduce yourself. Where do you live and work?

Hey! I’m Lauren Scott. I’m 23, and a recent college graduate making the transition into making being a musician a full time occupation.

Describe your music for new listeners. Who are your influences?

I’d like to say my music is a blend of several genres, but you'll mostly hear pop and r&b threads throughout it. I really, really love country music. I think country has been the most influential to my songwriting next to pop. My parents gave me a real love for Motown and classic rock because . I’d have to say Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Natasha Bedingfield are artists that shaped me as a young musician— It was so encouraging watching women who had such a heavy hand in their songwriting and their artistry. Maren Morris, Alessia Cara, and Tori Kelly are “newer” artists that I really, really appreciate now.

Talk about your songwriting process. What’s the biggest challenge for you artistically?

Gosh. I spent the past couple of years in a songwriting collective, collaborating with different writers and producers weekly, almost daily it felt like at times! Prior to that, I did all of my songwriting alone, on my acoustic guitar. Co-writing opened up words of creativity inside of me that I never knew were there. Writing over beats, finished productions, and different instruments challenged me to sing in different tones and explore more interesting melodies.

With that, I’d say the biggest challenges I’ve faced lately are: 1) writing alone, and 2) not doubting myself when there’s no one in the room, to the point that I lose faith in my own ideas. Because I’m inspired by SO many genres and have so many things to say, it’s easy for me to start an idea and shelf it because I can’t always hone it in by myself. I’ve found a strength and balance in co-writing that I’m wanting to find on my own again.

The songs you’ve shared on SoundCloud are stylistically eclectic – electronic elements mix with country, soul and pop. Where were these songs recorded and who did you work with?

Yeah! I’d like to think that there’s something a little different about them :) I decided to post music on my SoundCloud really to display my songwriting… I’d also like to think that some of my artistry comes through in those demos, too. But they were all done with different writers/producers. The country tracks (Rodeo, First Smoke) were written/produced with my good friend Brandon Hartt, an incredible country writer in Nashville. The pop tracks (We Don’t Know) was written/produced by another good friend, Matthew Boda.

What inspires you about music in Kansas City?

I love the fact that the artists I’ve met here who are really, really pursuing a career in music are giving it all they’ve got. It’s inspiring that you don’t expect one thing from Kansas City artists - I don’t think there’s one sound, one genre, one message that really defines music in the city. I think it’s all over the place, in the best way.